It's the final day of my 4-day business trip in Osaka, on a Friday morning at 5:55 AM. I decided to skip breakfast at the hotel and walked to a breakfast place nearby. Just 3 minutes away from the hotel, I found a row of red lanterns and a white sign that said "Tenpura Daikichi Sakai Main Store" in a dark corner of Sakai Fish Market. It was a recommended place from a local contact in Sakai. They serve tempura for breakfast, but they are only open from midnight to 9:00 AM. I entered the restaurant and took a seat at the counter. There were only 4 other customers. I checked the menu, filled out an order form, and handed it to the waitress. Soon, the tempura sauce arrived, and I waited for my order. The background music was Teresa Teng's "Tsugunai." The restaurant had a unique atmosphere with a large exhaust vent on the ceiling and clam shells scattered on the floor. The tempura was freshly fried and served quickly. I ordered various tempura items, rice, and clam miso soup. The tempura was delicious, especially the pickled ginger and the shrimp. The white fish roe was the highlight, followed by the conger eel tempura. The clam miso soup was full of clams and had a rich flavor. I enjoyed the meal and left the restaurant satisfied. It was a great recommendation, and I would definitely come back again.

I arrived around 7 o'clock on Saturday and had to wait for about 15 minutes before being seated as the second group. The menu had a wide variety of options, including seasonal dishes, which made it difficult to decide what to order. However, the prices seemed a bit high, especially for the amount of food you get. Since fried foods in the morning felt heavy, I would consider revisiting during lunch or dinner hours at another location that offers those options.

I visited the restaurant after a long time because the store I was looking for had already closed. The manager seems to be from the same generation as me, as he knows all the old songs, which made me smile wryly. As for the tempura, it was as expected from a popular restaurant - crispy and delicious. They served it on a plate to make it look nice, but it was a bit disappointing because the oil didn't drain well. I'm not a fan of the sweetness of the tempura dipping sauce, so I asked for extra grated daikon radish. Wry smile.

Late-night Tempura Daikichi ( ◠‿◠ ) We felt like having tempura, so three of us came here together. When we called to ask if they were open, they said there was a 30-minute wait. We took a taxi and arrived in no time. Surprisingly, there wasn't much of a line, and we were seated in about 10 minutes. We each wrote our orders on a piece of paper and handed them in. They told us to combine them into one order, so we did. Although it was a bit confusing, we ended up with two plates of tempura. I can't remember everything we ate, but we had large shrimp, smelt fish, conger eel, cuttlefish, fish cake, and deep-fried onion. Everything was freshly fried and delicious. The beer went down smoothly. We also ordered clam soup, but the portion seemed smaller than before. It used to be a generous serving, but now it's a bit lacking. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. Tempura Daikichi Sakai Branch 072-233-8418 2-4-28 Sakai Uoichiba, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2705/A270501/27003106/

A rare tempura restaurant in Sakai that opens from late at night. It is located inside the Sakai Fish Market, with a shared parking lot in front of the store. Before the pandemic, there was plenty of parking space, but recently it gets crowded during peak hours, causing delays in passing through the narrow road. I used to go there often around 3 or 4 in the morning due to my late-night work, and it was usually empty enough to enter smoothly through the outer door. However, it has become a super famous restaurant on social media, with waits of over 2 hours even late at night. If you see a long line, I recommend getting takeout. The menu includes various tempura, sashimi, and tempura rice bowls, but tempura tends to sell out quickly, so it's best to go early. My favorites are cheese hanpen, conger eel, pickled ginger, and tachiuo. Dip the crispy tempura in plenty of tempura sauce mixed with grated radish... it's incredibly delicious. It's rare to find tempura of this quality late at night. Please note that reservations are not accepted.

I had been curious about this restaurant for a while, but since it's open late at night, it was hard for me to go. I arrived after 11 pm and had to wait for 2 hours (;_;) I'm grateful to my friend who accompanied me because I couldn't go alone. They seemed to throw away the clams on the floor, but I ate them (lol). Maybe because it was during summer vacation, there were a lot of young people in line, probably university students. It was heartwarming to see them having fun. The clam broth was on the sweeter side and the tuna sashimi was delicious. I really want you to try it, it's so rich and tasty. I was more impressed by the tempura than anything else, of course, the tempura was also delicious. Thank you for the feast!

A tempura specialty store located about a 3-4 minute walk from Nankai Sakai Station. Despite opening at 11:00 PM, it is a popular restaurant with long queues. I arrived at 6:30 AM on Saturday and was able to enter without waiting in line as the restaurant was about 80% full. Inside, you could hear the sound of something being crushed. They were throwing clam shells on the floor, which seemed to be a rule of the restaurant. I ordered various tempura items including pickled ginger, eggplant, asparagus, conger eel, and sandfish wrapped in meat with rice and miso soup with clams. The freshly fried tempura was delicious, especially when dipped in the slightly sweet tempura sauce. The miso soup with clams had a rich flavor, but I found it challenging to throw the shells on the floor, so I left just one as a souvenir. It seems that there is a long queue at night, but it is relatively quiet in the early morning.

Sashimi and crispy tempura. The tempura made my stomach feel heavy. The sashimi was good but surprisingly expensive since the recommended tempura prices weren't listed on the menu. The meat-wrapped rice ball tempura was delicious, but I wish I had ordered it without being fried.

I arrived at 7 am. There were only 2 other groups in the restaurant, so I didn't have to wait in line to get in. Around 8 am, more people started coming in, so this time might be a good choice! I had a few pieces of tempura, egg soup, and tempura bowl. I didn't get hungry until the evening. Tempura for breakfast is the best!笑

This is a restaurant I had been wanting to visit for a while. It's known for its delicious tempura and stays open late at night. I arrived around 11:30 pm and waited in line for 2 hours before finally being seated. I was extremely hungry and ended up ordering a lot of food, including tempura, sashimi, miso soup, and pickles (although the pickles were already sold out by the time I got there). You write your order on a piece of paper and hand it to the staff, and they don't seem too strict about how you write it. I ordered a variety of tempura, such as smelt, shrimp, eel, sea bream, conger eel, bacon-wrapped items, octopus, scallop, mackerel, okra, and cheese fish cake. I also ordered tuna and swordfish tataki as sashimi, although they are not shown in the photos. The tempura itself tasted like homemade food, and the sweet tempura dipping sauce went well with it. Be careful not to order too much when you're hungry and waiting in line for a long time, as it can be a surprise for your stomach and wallet!

If you want to eat tempura, this is the place to go! Not only is the portion generous, but the taste is also outstanding ❤️ I was able to enjoy freshly caught seafood that was deliciously tender, unique to the port area. This time, I had the Jako-meshi Tempura Donburi with about 15 pieces of tempura as a single item. The prices are unbelievably cheap! I wonder if the tempura menu changes with the seasons? I definitely want to visit again ❤️

Visited in the morning. I ordered a medium portion, but now that I think about it, 15 dishes for one person seems like a lot. Maybe it's meant for sharing? But each dish was different, so maybe it's for one person after all? The small dried fish rice bowl seems overpriced. The rice wasn't delicious. It's a decent place that's open in the morning, but the prices and taste are just average. I won't be visiting again (because it's far. If it were closer, I might go occasionally).

On Friday night, there was quite a long line probably because the next day was Saturday. After waiting for about 90 minutes, we finally got inside the restaurant! The food list included oysters, lotus root, pickled ginger, shiitake mushrooms, mackerel, shrimp, miso soup, etc. The clam miso soup had a gentle and flavorful broth which was perfect for late-night dining. Standing in the cold made it even more satisfying. The oysters were a size I had never seen before, very filling! Unfortunately, they were sold out of shirako so I had to pass on that. The tempura dipping sauce was quite sweet, it might become addictive! The batter was crispy and slightly thick. Overall, I personally felt that waiting for over 60 minutes may not have been worth it. I prefer the crispy tempura from a certain all-you-can-eat tempura restaurant. However, the atmosphere of this place, with just a corner of the market lit up in the dark, was a unique and deep spot! The floor was covered in shells, giving it a real market feel. If you are interested in experiencing such a place, I recommend giving this restaurant a try. (People with cleanliness concerns might want to avoid it though!) Thank you for the meal!

It has been over 10 years since I first came here. Back then, I was a student and had never encountered delicious food or had much interest in eating. I remember vividly being invited by a senior at work to visit the "number one tempura restaurant in Sakai, Osaka." I had only ever eaten tempura at local shops or family restaurants, so the delicious tempura at this place left a lasting impression on me. I have visited the branch of this restaurant a few times recently, so I have a good sense of the taste. However, my memories of the original store are filled with overwhelming shock, so I am secretly excited to be here again. We arrived around 10:00 PM and there were about 10 groups of people waiting in line. I thought the wait would be short since there were fewer people than before, but it took 50 minutes. Inside the restaurant, nothing has changed. The only differences are my own aging and the fact that I am now eating tempura. I ordered some items that I enjoyed at the branch and a few recommendations of the day, along with a tempura rice bowl and miso soup with clams, which are a must. The clam miso soup: The clams were smaller in size and there were significantly fewer of them compared to before. The taste was still delicious. Tempura rice bowl: The sauce was too abundant and the sweet and salty flavor was overly sweet, making it difficult to eat. The tempura: The tempura had a unique sweetness in the sauce that matched well with the gentle daikon radish. The thick batter was a distinctive feature of the tempura, but it felt like I was eating more batter than the actual ingredients.

There is a tempura restaurant a short walk from Sakai Station that is open from 11 pm to 8 am. Just hearing that makes you curious. We waited for about an hour and finally got a seat. They offer a variety of tempura, all of which look delicious. You write your order on a piece of paper and they bring it all out on a big plate. Since there were three of us, we ordered a lot. My favorites are the onion, potato, and oyster tempura. They are amazing, so definitely try them out!

I went to a tempura restaurant at Sakai Fish Market that opens late at night after a few years. We arrived before midnight and waited for about an hour before being seated. We had to write our orders on a paper at the table. The first photo shows the "Chukichi Mori" dish, and the other plate is something we ordered separately but I forgot what it was. They provide a pot of tempura sauce and a lot of grated radish on the table. If you want more grated radish, there is an additional charge. Even just the "Chukichi Mori" dish was quite filling for two people! The batter was a bit soft but still crispy, and it absorbed a lot of oil making it quite heavy. The miso soup with clams had a unique system where you throw the clam shells on the ground. The ground was covered with crushed clam shells. The restaurant isn't particularly clean, probably because it's located in the market, but it's a unique place. It's great to be able to enjoy a variety of freshly fried tempura late at night! I ended up with a stomachache the next day, so be careful not to overeat late at night. Thank you for the meal.

Visit date and time: 09:00 on Saturday Waiting time: None Menu: Daikichi platter (23 items) 3,600 yen + Steamed rice (medium) 150 yen + Miso soup with clams 400 yen I thought it would be difficult to visit as they are only open from late night to early morning, but I visited after sending my daughters to Kansai Airport in the morning. There was no line and I entered smoothly. I ordered the Daikichi platter. It had a huge volume and the ingredients were large, so it was more filling than it looked. I also ordered the miso soup with clams because I wanted to see clam shells on the floor. There were plenty of clam shells in the soup. There are many branch locations opening up, and the main store's operating hours are until the morning, so I will visit again if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.

Located a 5-minute walk from Nankai Sakai Station, this restaurant is situated within the Sakai Fish Market with parking available. Renowned for its delicious tempura and the tradition of throwing clam shells on the floor after enjoying clam soup, this place is a must-visit for those who want to experience it. I had a bitter experience when I visited in December 2019 at around 7 am, only to find out they were closing early due to running out of ingredients. The irregular business hours of opening at 24:00 and last order at 7:45 am, with Monday mornings off, were quite a challenge. I made sure to confirm the operating days in advance, woke up at 4:30 am, and arrived at 6:30 am. Since it was a weekday, there was no line outside, and I was seated promptly at the counter. The exterior resembles a stall with a partition, and the interior consists only of counter seats. Fresh fish are displayed in a glass case. I ordered clam miso soup x2 for 400 yen each, Koyoshi Mori (7 items) for 1,300 yen, eggplant for 180 yen, shiitake mushrooms for 180 yen, shrimp x2 for 220 yen each, minced fish sausage for 180 yen, large rice for 200 yen, small shrimp x2, rolled omelette, oysters x2, and shirako x2. The total came to around 3,000 yen per person. The tempura was all incredibly fresh and delicious. The Koyoshi Mori included crab, octopus, shrimp, and conger eel, which was a great deal. The octopus was particularly tender and tasty. However, my favorites were the shirako and oysters. Both were the size of a child's fist and had a mouthful texture with a sweet taste. The experience of throwing clam shells on the floor was also a unique tradition to participate in. The service was efficient and polite. I definitely want to visit this place again.

I arrived at the restaurant about 30 minutes before opening and there were already two groups waiting ahead of me. I was able to get in on the first round and ordered tuna sashimi, tempura, and miso soup. The sashimi was fresh and delicious, but the tempura was the highlight. Personally, I found the fish tempura to be tender and very tasty.

I have never climbed Tsutenkaku Tower while living in Osaka. It's like wanting to go to a restaurant that is within reach, but never quite getting around to it. The parking lot in front of the restaurant faces Sakai Market, making it easily accessible. When I arrived around 1 am, as expected, there was a line in the market. I think I waited for about an hour. There were ashtrays placed in different spots along the waiting line, which may be smoky for non-smokers, but it's a good environment for smokers to take a break while waiting in line. When my turn came, I was guided inside the restaurant. The interior had a counter with about 15 seats arranged in a U-shape. Across the street on the west side, there seemed to be table seating for groups of four. The floor inside the restaurant was covered with clam shells. The menu had clam soup, and it seemed to be a custom to throw the eaten shells underneath. The ordering system involved writing down your choices on paper and handing it to the staff, which I personally found charmingly retro. The food was served in less than 10 minutes after ordering. Since it was my first time, I ordered what I liked. - Shrimp (220 yen) - Small shrimp (390 yen) - Scallop (390 yen) x2 - Eel (220 yen) - Squid (280 yen) - Octopus (220 yen) - Shirako (390 yen) x2 - Yuzu chu-hai (450 yen) x2 Total: 3990 yen The most shocking thing was the size of the shirako. I thought it would be a small side dish-sized tempura, but it was an impressive fist-sized piece. I ordered two, and one was on the verge of breaking in the middle, so I cut it, only to have another fist-sized shirako appear from another place. I did a double-take. The other items also seemed to offer great value for their prices. The people at the next table probably didn't realize the size, as they were surprised by the large plate of tempura they received. It's better to be cautious with how much you order if you're not used to it. I enjoyed the meal and would like to visit again on a whim in the evening!

I'm sorry for the inconvenience! Thank you very much! Met up with my baseball buddies for an off day, but we arrived in the morning and it was almost closing time. They only had one bowl of rice left. Oh man... can't attack this tempura without rice! I'm sorry! We brought our own rice m(_ _)m Good value, delicious, cheap, fast, amazing! We'll be back!